John stephenson



2Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

J. STEPHEN$ON.

CABLE GAR TRUGK. No. 414,733. v Patented Ndv. 12, 1889.

N FUCHS. Pmumo mr. Washinpamufi.

(Ho Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2..

J. STEPHENSON.

GABLB GAR TRUCK. A No. 414,733. Patented Nov. 12, 1889.

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CABLE-OAR TRUCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 4=14,'733, datedNovember 12, 1889. Application tiled July 20, 1889. Serial No. 318,111.(No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN STEPHENSON, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cable-Oar Trucks,of which the following is a specification.

Tram-cars impelled by cable operate best when the cable-gri p is centralwith the wheelbase, and for convenience it has been the practice for thegripman to stand immediately above the grip, with his operating-leverdirectly connecting with the grip mechanism. This arrangement consumesspace desirable for passengers, and also prevents the operator fromhaving so good outlook and view of the road as public interests require.Attempts have been made, and with some success, to locate the operatorat the car-front; but these efforts have been attended with difiicultiesnot necessary here to rehearse.

Experience has already shown that my invention, hereinafter described,and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, has satisfactorilyovercome the difficulties and met the wants hitherto developed.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of sufficient of a tram-cartruck to show my improvements. Fig. 2 is a plan of Fig. 17

Cable-tramways have in their construction several elements to whichthe'car-builder must defer, among which are, first, the gage of track ordistance between the rail-heads, varying usually from three feet sixinches to five feet six inches; second, curves at ordinarystreet-corners of small radii necessitating short wheel-base and cars ofless capacity; third, cable grip-machine dimensions, mode of operation,method of attaching to and separating from the cable, and also ofremoval from the car; fourth, freedom for the grip to be controlled bythe slot-rail in its deviations from central line of the tram-rails;fifth, the operators position, whether central to the car or at thecar-front with convenient control of the lever-handles of grip,heel-brake, and track-brake.

In order to meet the requirements of these desirable conditions, I makethe car-truck of the following pieces-via, two sills G G, of lengthsufficientto couple the axle-boxes at each side of the truck; twocheek-sills F 1 parallel to the sills G, but shorter; two compositecross-rails each made of two pieces H I, diagonally crossing each other,and when there is a very broad gage of truck there may be at each sideof the truck a sub-sill interposed between the sill and oheek-silladapted to shorten the rock-shafts of wheel-brake and track-brake. Thesix stated pieces F F H H 51 I put together make a sexagonal frame, the

jsills being the longest sides and parallel and apart to correspond withlength of the axles, and united by the two composite cross-rails, ivhosemembers cross each other midway of the sills with the apex of theirangles outward and their extended ends resting on the ends of thecheek-sills F F,which cheeksills are separated to an extent determinedby the necessities of the grip-machine to be located in the well X,inclosed in sexagonal form by the truck-frame. The junction of thecross-rails with the sills is sufficiently contractihle for the shortestwheel-base, and the angular disposition of the members of the compositecrossrails increases the longitudinal diameter of the grip-wellsufficient for necessities of the grip-machine and its carrier. On eachcross-rail is an angular keeper J, adapted to hold the wheelbrakeshoe-bar. The central six-sided wellhole X, formed by the twocheek-sills and parts of the two composite cross rails, is adapted toreceive the grip-carrier with its grip-machine,and the two smaller sidewells Y, of four sides each, are adapted to receive the mechanisms ofthe wheel-brake or of the t-raclcbrake, or both these brake mechanisms.As shown, the sills G support the outer ends and the cheek-sills theinner ends of the rockshafts of the wheel-brake mechanism, while thetrack-brake mechanism is supported be low by the same sills.

The truck-frame thus made is adapted to the mechanisms of thewheel-brake, trackbrake, grip-carrier and its extension, and also thetrackguard. I prefer that the truck with its burden be suspended to theaxle-boxes outside the wheels.

The operating-lever P is arranged at the end of the car and worksthrough connectin g devices not necessary to be here described.

\Vithont limiting myself to the precise constructionand arrangement ofparts shown, I claim- 1. A car-truck composed of two sills of lengthsufficient to couple the axle-boxes for the desired wheel-base at eachside of the truck, two cheek sills, and two composite rails each of twoparts, with the sills reaching the axle-boxes, and the Whole making aframe with an internal sexagonal shaped cable-grip well, substantiallyas and for the purpose described.

2. A car-t-ruck having a six-sided grip-we1l, each cross-rail formingtwo sides of the inclosure, and the angles elongating the longitudinalaxis of the well, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. A car-truck having composite cross-rails, with an end of eachhalf-rail framed to the sills and the opposite ends crossing each otherand extending to the ends of the cheeksills, substantially as and forthe purpose described.

L A car-truck with sills and cheek-sills united by compositecross-rails, each of two pieces and each piece united with atruck-sillat. an angle tending endward crossing the cheek-sill, and with anangular keeper on the cross-rail adapted to hold the wheel-brakeshoe-bar, substantially as and for the purposedescribed.

5. A car-truck suspended at the four-corners by the ends of its twosills secured to. the bottoms of the four axle-box shells, with itscheek-sills forming supports for the inner ends of the track-brakerock-shafts, and the truck-sills forming supports for the outer ends ofsaid shafts, as and for the purpose set forth.

6. A car-truck suspended at the four corners by the ends of its twosills secured to the bottoms of the four axle-box shells, with itscheek-sills forming supports for the inner ends of the wheel-brakerock-shafts, and the truck-sills forming supports for the outer ends ofsaid shafts, as and for the purpose described.

7. A car-truck with sills and cheek-si1ls united by compositecross-rails making angular connections with the sills, all adapted tohold the wheel-brake mechanism, and also below it to hold the mechanismof the trackbrake, substantially as and for the purpose described.

8. A car-truck with sills and cheek-sills joined by compositecross-rails, each of two parts and each part framed to a sill at anangle tending endward of the truck, the two.

parts crossing the cheek sills and crossing each other at the centralline of the truck and each composite rail end continuing to and makingunion with the end of another cheek-sill, thus forming a truck withsix-sided well and of a size adapted to a cable-grip machine, as and forthe purpose described.

9. A car-truck suspended at the four corners by the ends of its twosills' secured to the bottoms of the four axle-box shells; and havingcomposite cross-rails, with their loose ends lodged onthe ends of thecheek-sills to receive the wheel-brake. recoil-rods through springs andthrough the loose ends of the cross-rails, against which ends thesprings abut for action, as and for the purposev described.

10. A car-truck with four wheels on two axles extending entirely acrossthe truck and the axle-journals outside the whee1s,,on which journalsare axle-boxes carrying beneath their bottoms. the truck-sills,whichwith the. cheeksills form supports for the mechanism of the wheel-brake,the operating-lever of which is at the end of the car, substantially asand for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence-0f two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN STEPHENSON.

Vitnesses:

S. A. STEPHENSON, J osEPH B. STEPHENSON.

